


134 Days

by Reidluver



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Baze is a worrywart, Cassian needs a hug, Chirrut is a flirt pass it on, Family Picnic, Flower Crowns, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kaytoo is secretly a sweetheart deep deep down, M/M, Team as Family, though to be fair his children are a handful
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-23 05:14:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9642143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reidluver/pseuds/Reidluver
Summary: Adoption is never easy. Every child has difficulty adjusting. Complications can arise at any time and by the most mundane of triggers. The trick is to see these problems for what they are and respond with love. Baze and Chirrut have successfully navigated this process three times. Now it's Cassian's turn.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Conventional is Overrated](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9220169) by [snap_crackles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snap_crackles/pseuds/snap_crackles). 



> So the absolutely incredible **snap_crackles** has given me the green light to write a fanfic of their fanfic! 
> 
> If you haven't read the story "Conventional is Overrated" you best do so before you read this. Not only is it a phenomenal story, but you'll be rather confused otherwise.

It was four months since the adoption was finalized that Cassian began acting strangely. He stopped quarreling with Jyn, goofing off with Bodhi, and laughing at Kaytoo’s dry humor. Dark circles formed under his eyes. He was quiet, more withdrawn.

His parents’ deportation anniversary was seven months away so Baze ruled that out as a possible reason. Nor was it either of their birthdays. Principal Lawrence—thankfully—hadn’t called about any fighting so it couldn’t be troubles at school. _(Besides, if one of his boys got in a fight the others wouldn’t be far behind)_ Baze considered the possibility of academic stress, but Cassian’s recent report card had been fine. Baze was even so desperate as to ask Kaytoo if he had any idea what was going on.

Eventually, Baze decided to go straight to the source. Ideally, Cassian would have come to him or Chirrut by now. The two of them decided early on to not come across as judgmental parents. They wanted their kids to feel safe approaching them with any question or worries. Cassian thanked him for his concern but explained he was simply busy with schoolwork.

It was complete and utter bullshit. Baze couldn’t force the truth out of him though, so he pretended to let the matter drop. That night he mused over the exchange, propped against some pillows. Chirrut was reading silently beside him, and Baze was easily transfixed. He stared as Chirrut’s slender hands glided over the raised text. His husband had tried teaching him multiple times, but he never got the hang of it.

“I know you find me irresistible,” Chirrut said _(his lips curled in the arrogant smirk that_ did _things to Baze)_ , “but why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind?”

Baze rolled his eyes but kissed his husband’s cheek. “Cassian,” he admitted with a sigh. “He won’t tell me what’s bothering him. Not even Kaytoo knows.”

Chirrut’s smile fell with a resigned sigh. Apparently Baze wasn’t he only one who noticed. Chirrut set the book face down and intertwined his fingers with Baze’s. “He’ll tell us when he’s ready. We just need to be here for him.”

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Baze mumbled. He dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling. “I just . . . he’s hurting, no matter what he says. I can’t just sit by and watch it happen.” 

Chirrut squeezed his hand. "I know," he whispered. His voice wavered and Baze’s heart ached. He sat up straighter and pulled Chirrut into his bare chest. Chirrut rested his head in the crook of Baze’s neck and curled their legs together.

“It’s about time Cassian had his turn," Chirrut muttered. It was a feeble attempt at humor, even by his standards. Chirrut’s insufferable optimism was one of the never-ending reasons why Baze loved him, even if it could be frustrating at times. 

"Hmm." Back when they were preparing to adopt Bodhi, Chirrut went crazy with research. He scoured the library and internet for every scrap of parenting advice he could find. The two of them would lay in bed together and take turns reading aloud. What surprised them was the warning that parents who adopted would be tested by any child older than an infant. The book explained that children who had been betrayed developed a powerful self-preservation instinct. Whether they were aware of it or not, they felt a compelling need for proof that their new guardians loved them. 

The children would misbehave, test the limits of their new guardians' patience, and draw conclusions on how their disobedience was received. The longer the children were in the system or the more severe their abuse, the greater the "test." It was a contributing factor in why so many older children were unable to find permanent homes. The more they acted out, the more they were rejected, and so on. Chirrut had been moved to tears at the vicious cycle. He and Baze vowed to keep this knowledge in mind and not be discouraged by any challenges they encountered. 

Thankfully, none of their "tests" had been too drastic. None of their children had been horrifically abused, but neither had their lives been easy. With their kids _(or at least all but Cassian so far)_ it was more dealing with habits and behaviors brought on by their hardships. 

For instance, Jyn struggled with hoarding food in her room. They later learned it stemmed from the fear of not knowing when her next meal would come from. Saw never purposefully starved her, but some days the only reason the two of them were able to eat was because they stole their food. Even though Baze and Chirrut let her eat whenever she wanted, the need was still there. 

It would have taken them longer to discover her thievery had she not stolen a present for Bodhi. They'd all been clothes shopping in the mall one Saturday. They passed by a model plane shop on the way out and Bodhi begged to show Jyn around. Baze and Chirrut agreed, and watched/listened to their giggling children dash about the store with fondness. Later that night, Jyn snuck into Bodhi's room to give him one of the planes he'd shown her earlier.

It was only thanks to Bodhi’s help that the confrontation hadn’t ended in disaster. He managed to convince Jyn to admit to the thievery. She’d been terrified about being sent away, but her trust in Bodhi was stronger. 

Bodhi's problem was more subtle. He was the perfect child, to the point where Baze and Chirrut wondered if they had spent all that time worrying for nothing. It wasn't until Bodhi had a nervous breakdown that they realized just how wrong they were. 

It started out as a simple accident. Bodhi was putting some ceramic plates away when they slipped from his grip and shattered onto the floor. Baze was about to grab the broom when Bodhi let out a shriek and started crying. Their initial thought was that Bodhi injured himself. Chirrut had rushed forward to inspect the damage but Bodhi's cries devolved into hysterics. 

After a generous amount of coaxing, they managed to calm Bodhi down. He kept apologizing for breaking the plates and promised to never _ever_ do it again. No matter how many times they assured him it was just an accident, Bodhi acted as if he had committed an unpardonable sin. It wasn't until after they sought professional help they received answers. 

While Bodhi knew his mother loved him, loved her back, and understood why she could no longer care for him, there was a small part of him that didn't. It reasoned that he had been abandoned because he wasn't good enough. That Baze and Chirrut would abandon him too if he made a mistake. So, Bodhi rationalized that being a model child was the best course of action. It took some work, but in time, Bodhi overcame that toxic mindset for a healthier one.

Kaytoo’s issue was the most obvious of the three. He made no effort to suppress or hide his overly blunt personality. Were it not for that book’s warning and Baze’s previous experience, he would have very well been tempted to not follow through with the adoption. Not only was Kaytoo belligerent, but he had the brains to know exactly which buttons triggered a blinding rage. It was only once they weathered the fierce onslaught of Kaytoo’s gruff exterior that they realized it was just that. A steel-forged casing to protect the small child inside. _(By no means an angelic child, but a child nonetheless)_

Now with Bodhi and Jyn, once their behavioral problems made themselves known, Baze and Chirrut breached the topic of counseling. They knew that some parents who adopted began counseling right away, but they decided to take a different approach. While going to counseling was by no means a sign of weakness _(Baze himself saw a therapist from time to time due to the nature of his work)_ , he and Chirrut felt that immediately setting their children up with a counselor could send the wrong message. 

With their approach, the message was more of “You’re struggling with something, let’s help you fix it” as opposed to “You’re coming into our home broken and we want to fix you.”

In Kaytoo’s case, while they knew counseling would help, the odds of him agreeing to it without Cassian were low. It was both endearing and worrisome how dependent those boys were on each other. Were it not for the obvious racial differences one could mistake them for twins. 

Except Cassian hadn’t shown any sign of behavioral issues. True, there was the occasional argument with Jyn, but even blood-siblings fought with one another. In fact, there wasn’t much that stood out about Cassian at all. It wasn’t to say he lacked a personality, but if Baze had to choose a single word to describe Cassian it would be . . . neutral. He didn’t try to be the perfect child like Bodhi, yet neither did he act out like Kaytoo. It was as if he were one of those nameless faces in a crowd, or a desk worker that had been with a company for twenty years but no one knew existed. 

Not to say that Cassian couldn’t have that personality, but there was still something . . . off about it. Baze couldn’t put his finger on how he knew this, but there was some sort of fire flickering beneath Cassian’s blank exterior. It was easy to miss. Kaytoo’s colorful personality provided the perfect diversion. While Baze was nowhere near as intuitive as Chirrut, he was by no means oblivious. And yet, he was ashamed to admit how long it took him to realize Cassian was hiding something. 

“He needs to come to us,” Chirrut said, bringing Baze back to the present. He was tracing designs onto Baze’s chest. “We’ve shown we’re willing to listen. Cassian needs the freedom to make this decision himself.”

“Hmm.” Baze caught Chirrut’s hand in his. He caressed his thumb over Chirrut’s knuckles. “I just can’t shake the feeling this is going to end badly.” He kissed the captured hand.

Chirrut lifted his head to flash Baze an affectionate grin. “If it does then we’ll work through it together, as a family.” He closed the distance between them for a brief kiss. “Between the six of us, I’m sure we can come up with something.” Chirrut’s other hand started tracing designs on Baze’s chest, though considerably lower than he had before. A growl rumbled in Baze’s throat. God, why had he married such a _tease?_

Well. Two could play at that game. “You know,” Baze began, his voice huskier than it was before. “I think I’ve come up with something right now.” He rested his hands on either side of Chirrut’s waist and _ever so slowly_ began sliding his way down to Chirrut’s hips, digging his thumbs in _just_ the right places. 

Chirrut gasped and shuddered at Baze’s touch. “Oh really?” he breathed. “Why don’t you show me?” 

In one swift move, Baze rolled over and pinned Chirrut onto the bed. “Don’t mind if I do,” he muttered in Chirrut’s ear. He pulled back before dipping down to capture Chirrut in a deep, passionate kiss.

\--

_Five days later_

It was a Friday morning. The ground was littered with stiff, decaying leaves. Each breath frosted the air and burned the throat. It would be snowing any day now. Baze grumbled at the weather behind the warmth his scarf provided. He had just finished a 48-hour shift at the station and wanted nothing more than to be home. The tension melted from his shoulders as he walked through the front door. 

Kaytoo was on the stairs, stuffing textbooks into his backpack.

“Morning, Kaytoo.”

“You smell like smoke.” Kaytoo’s tone was casual, but it lacked the usual bite. Baze paused and watched Kaytoo out the corner of his eye. He was rubbing the edge of the backpack zipper between his fingers, purposefully avoiding Baze’s eyes. Not for the first time, Baze was struck with how small and young Kaytoo actually was. It was an easy thing to forget. The boy’s wit and obtrusive personality belied his experience. 

Baze shrugged out of his coat and placed it on the mess of hooks next to the door. “Night drills. Apparently, we were overdue for a practice.” He knelt down to untie his boots and felt Kaytoo’s eyes on him. “We were dispatched five or six times during the day,” he continued, ripping off his shoes without care. “Mostly car accidents, though there was one trash can fire.”

“Mm-hm, how eventful,” Kaytoo said, his voice considerably chipper than before. He stood up and jabbed a thumb toward the kitchen. “Jyn is helping Chirrut make scrambled eggs.” At Baze’s wince he added, “I made sure we had enough cheese.”

“Ketchup?”

“Probably a quarter of the bottle left, but it should still be enough.” He paused and glanced upward with a thoughtful expression. “Unless Cassian gets to it first.”

Baze dropped a hand on Kaytoo’s shoulder and chuckled. “Then I suppose we better make sure he leaves some for us.” He steered Kaytoo toward the kitchen and Kaytoo allowed it. Baze mentally cheered the small victory.

Their ritual had started about a month ago. The experience that provoked it was something Baze hoped to never repeat.

\---

_A month previously_

There had been a horrible fire at a warehouse. Despite every precaution, a section of the main floor collapsed with Baze still on it. He managed to grab some piping to keep from tumbling to his death, but injured his ankle in the process.

It could have been far, far worse. Baze silently thanked every deity he could think of that he made it out alive. Once he’d been cleared by the hospital, Baze rushed home, eager to see his family. 

Chirrut immediately knew something was wrong, but pretended not to for the kids’ sake. Baze was able to fool all of them but Kaytoo. Even early in the morning that kid’s brain was as sharp as ever. He called out Baze’s bluff and started quoting statistics.

"Twenty-seven point two percent of firefighter injuries are caused by a fall or slip. Nine point three occur by falling debris—"

How Kaytoo managed to keep all those figures straight in his head, Baze would never know. Or the way the information was always at the tip of his tongue. He had to have some sort of photographic memory.

"—fifty-nine percent result in death—"

That wasn't good. Baze cleared his throat. "Kaytoo, that's enou—"

"—twenty-four percent by internal bleeding and crushed organs which then flood the abdominal cavity—"

Fact after fact tumbled out of his mouth, each more gruesome than the next. His tone had an edge of hysteria to it, but the worst part was how calm and indifferent his expression was. Kaytoo had the horrible habit of suppressing his emotions behind the best damn poker face Baze had ever seen. Except it had never been this bad before. Kaytoo’s expression was so devoid of emotion he didn’t look human anymore.

"—peels away the epidermis. After five minutes the dermis shrinks and splits open, allowing the fat to seep out—"

For a moment, no one could move. Each was frozen in some various stage of horror. Jyn and Bodhi each clutched Baze’s arms, tears pooling in their eyes at all the previously unknown ways Baze could die. Cassian’s hand was stretched out, desperate to give comfort but completely lost as to how. _(Baze chose to take that as a good sign. It was safe to say this level of dissociation was new)_

While Baze wasn’t the most physically affectionate of people _(he left that job to Chirrut)_ , he nonetheless felt compelled to sweep Kaytoo in his arms and hold him until whatever had broken inside pieced itself back together. To his credit, he suppressed the urge. Tom Brendant’s existence made that reaction impossible. Baze had to handle this delicately. If he didn’t, Kaytoo’s emotional state could be damaged beyond repair.

Instead he lowered himself to the ground. He paid no heed to the sharp protest of his ankle. He kept his eyes trained on Kaytoo and raised his hands. “Can I come over there, Kaytoo?” Baze asked. He took special care to keep his tone calm and soothing.

There was a brief hitch in Kaytoo’s voice, but he kept talking. "—average human body can burn for seven hours—" Baze took a chance and inched closer. When Kaytoo didn’t move, Baze slowly and deliberately closed the gap between them. He paused for a moment before wrapping his arms around Kaytoo, making sure to give him every chance to pull away.

Except—to Baze’s relief—Kaytoo didn’t pull away. He collapsed into Baze’s arms. He didn’t return the hug but he did stop talking. Baze let out a deep breath and tightened his grip around Kaytoo. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he whispered, just loud enough for Kaytoo to hear. “I’m here, I’m all right.” Baze pulled back and ruffled Kaytoo’s hair. “It’ll take a lot more than that to get rid of me.” Kaytoo gave him a hesitant, half-smile in return.

Baze then looked each of his children in the eyes and explained that while what Kaytoo said was true, that didn't mean it would happen to him. His job was dangerous, yes, but his team took every precaution necessary. Not to mention the fact that his department had one of the highest safety ratings in the state. 

Jyn and Bodhi calmed down some after that, but they still seemed a bit shook up. If Baze were honest with himself, so was he. He loved Chirrut more than anything, but having children back home that depended on him changed things. 

Then Chirrut _(ever the genius with these things)_ suggested a “Lord of the Rings” marathon. It was surprisingly one of Kaytoo's favorite series. Fantasy elements aside _(even Kaytoo needed to escape reality)_ , at first Baze was wary about Denethor. Of those scenes hitting too close to home. 

However, after watching it for the first time as a family, it all made sense. As Denethor ran off Minas Tirith enveloped in flames, Kaytoo cackled with sadistic glee. Perhaps it wasn’t the most proper of reactions, but Baze couldn’t fault Kaytoo for it. Baze certainly wouldn’t lose any sleep over Tom Brendant suffering the same fate. The man was lucky to be in jail was all he was saying. 

Chirrut’s suggestion was met with unanimous approval. Thankfully it was the weekend so they didn’t have to bother making up excuses for the school. After grabbing some snacks, the family of six settled onto the couch. Kaytoo was pressed against Baze’s right side, his head resting on Baze’s shoulder. Cassian was on Kay’s other side, and Baze bit back the fond smile at the sight of Kaytoo and Cassian still holding hands. The moment Baze ended their hug, Cassian had slipped his hand into Kaytoo’s and hadn’t let go since. Kaytoo had avoided Cassian’s gaze but Baze didn’t miss the way he tightened his grip and stood closer to Cassian than he normally would. 

Jyn claimed Baze’s lap. She was still young enough for it not to be awkward, but Jyn wouldn’t give a damn either way. She curled up like a cat and idly twisted Baze’s hair between her fingers. 

Normally, Chirrut would be on Baze’s other side, but for today, Bodhi was sandwiched between the two. At first, Bodhi had tried sitting at Baze’s feet, but Chirrut was having none of that. Baze thanked Chirrut with a quick kiss as Bodhi flushed red between them. He was far too polite for his own good, and neither Baze nor Chirrut wanted him to feel left out.

By the time the credits for the third movie were rolling, all the kids were asleep. Cassian had his head in Kaytoo’s lap while Kaytoo’s arm was draped protectively over him. Jyn was still curled in Baze’s lap but she clung to Baze’s shirt as if it were a teddy bear, her fingers hooked around the button holes. Bodhi had his face pressed up against Baze’s shoulder, mouth partially open as he snored. Chirrut was biting his fist to keep from laughing. Baze rolled his eyes and signaled for Chirrut to get the selfie stick and camera.

The selfie stick had been a joke present from Peter, but for moments like these it was actually useful. Since Chirrut was unable to position the camera and set it on a timer, this was their best option. A few clicks and Baze had a perfect family photo. He briefly entertained the thought of using it as their Christmas photo but the kids would never forgive him for it. Instead he dropped his head against the back of the couch and resigned himself to a brief nap while Chirrut settled against him on the other side of Bodhi. 

Once the kids awoke from their nap, Baze suggested pizza and board games. Kaytoo acted like nothing had happened, but Baze knew he’d need some more time to pull himself together. Unfortunately, that involved losing to Kaytoo at his favorite strategic games. Baze liked to think of himself as a calculated man. Normally he could wipe the floor in those sorts of games, but Kaytoo just so happened to be his match. 

Later that night, Kaytoo popped into the bathroom when Baze was brushing his teeth. Kaytoo rammed into Baze, wrapped his arms tightly around him, and left. It was done in a matter of seconds. Baze just stood there gobsmacked. He didn't move until Chirrut reminded him to turn off the faucet with some joke about the water bill. 

\--

_Present day_

Ever since then, when Baze came home from a long shift, Kaytoo was there to greet him. A peculiar show of affection for sure, but affection nonetheless. Baze never commented on it. He secretly looked forward to it every time. 

“She did, too!” 

“As if.” 

“You weren’t there, how could you know?” 

“Because Ahsoka is two grades above _us!_ ” Kaytoo gestured between himself and his brothers. “The odds of an upperclassman giving _you_ the time of day—”

Baze pinched the bridge of his nose and bit back the urge to groan. For whatever reason, Kaytoo felt the need to step it up with Cassian’s lack of fighting. Jyn and Kaytoo were rinsing their plates at the sink. Couldn’t they wait until after school to start this nonsense? Baze glanced over to Chirrut for emotional support. 

Except Chirrut wasn’t paying their quarreling children any heed. His head was tilted in Cassian’s direction, ears perked, and brow creased. It was Chirrut’s equivalent of an intense stare. Baze zeroed in on Cassian to see what his husband picked up on. 

Cassian was taking care of the leftovers. His head was bowed in concentration but his form trembled. His chest heaved in rapid, uneven breaths which must have been what Chirrut’s sensitive hearing had been alerted to. The boy’s normally tanned skin was stark white and he swayed where he stood. 

_So he’s been sick this whole time?_ Baze cursed his passive approach. If he had known . . . He and Cassian were going to have _words_ once they sorted this out.

At the exact moment Baze rose to his feet, the unopened Tupperware container full of scrambled eggs tumbled out of Cassian’s shaky grip. It landed on the floor with a _splat!_

All eyes snapped to Cassian. If possible, more color drained from his face. There even was a tinge of green. Baze opened his mouth but stopped at the tears that sprung to Cassian’s eyes. He wasn’t the kind to cry over accidents like this. Stranger still was the resigned look of abject horror. 

Chirrut was on his feet. “Cass—”

Cassian bolted from the kitchen and out the back door. His speed was remarkable for someone too ill to hold anything. 

Just what was going on here?

“ _Cassian!_ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Is he really sick or is it something else? You'll have to wait and see!
> 
> This was honestly supposed to be a oneshot--ONESHOT!--but Baze wouldn't shut up and well, this is what you get. A two-shot with a small epilogue. Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> EDIT: I can't believe I forgot to include all of Kaytoo's statistics! I hope it wasn't too graphic for anyone. Kaytoo was uh, describing what happens to someone when they burn to death.


End file.
